Santa Monica, CA and the JW Marriott

We made our annual summer pilgrimage to California to escape the heat in Phoenix. We started our coastal journey in Santa Monica staying at the Le Merigot, A JW Marriott Hotel and Spa.

This elegant boutique hotel, with only 175 rooms, became part of the Marriott family about 2 years ago. It is just steps away from the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Pier. Many rooms have a water view and Gold and Platinum members have a shot of being upgraded to a room with a private balcony or patio overlooking the hotel’s terraces and Ocean. Their exclusive Cloud 9 bed was the most comfortable hotel bed I have ever slept in.

We started our day by heading out to the 22 miles of walking and bike paths which wind around the beach.

Our first stop was Venice Beach. What a people-watching place this is! Between the Freak Show and the Medical Marijuana shops, we saw all walks of life.

Next, we back-tracked to the Santa Monica Pier. You can hang out at the beach nearby or enjoy the amusement park atmosphere of the pier itself.The main entrance to Le Merigot is on Ocean Avenue down the street from lots of restaurants and shopping areas. We only had 2 days to explore the area and would love to come back to spend more time.